"The nation that destroys its soil, destroys itself."

Throughout time and throughout the world, soils have been important not just for agriculture, but also for architecture, pottery, medicine, rituals, and much, much more. Our civilizations rise and fall on how well we treat soils.

Our lives still depend on soil. We transform soils into products that make our lives easier or healthier—or even more beautiful. Soils may hold many more as yet undiscovered applications - just one of many reasons to study and conserve soil biological diversity.